In a smart move to win the hearts of the residents of the Dome– Kwabenya constituency, the Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo, who has incurred the wrath of the party and the constituents over her absence from Parliament and alleged misconduct has begun a process to engage them and beg for mercy.
Over the weekend, she began a constituency tour where she disclosed her intention to contest in the 2024 general elections.
The three-term lawmaker was spotted sharing a chilled Fan Milk and Yogurts with some of the residents of Kwabenya at one of the centers she visited.
Her smart move to engage the constituents has become a public discussion as people have started to roast her again over what some say she is shedding crocodile tears to seek sympathy from the voters in her constituency.
During the constituency tour, she said “Politics is a game of numbers, if it’s the will of God and the people want me, I will run again, adding that “I still have a lot to do for my people and I have to take the pain to explain to them the reasons for my absence and when the time comes. I shall not desert my people, I shall represent them again by God’s grace, and I think that my people still love me’’.
Adwoa Sarfo, after her public apology to the party, has been roasted by scores of party members over her behavior of abandoning her role as Minister for almost a year, leaving a gap in the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection and Parliamentary duties and leaving for the United States of America.
The former Gender Minister in her apology video explained that these emotions were fueled by the complex personal challenges she was facing in her private life.
“It was not my intention to disrespect you. A lot was going on in my life and family. I’m using this medium to plead for your forgiveness in the name of God’’.
Her refusal to come back to Parliament gravely affected the NPP, particularly nearly sabotaging their will to implement the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
The Deputy General Secretary, Haruna Mohammed, after her apology has expressed approval of her public apology, stating that her apology is viewed positively and contributes to the party’s image, even though the constituency executives have taken the apology with a pinch of salt.
The constituency Secretary for Dome-Kwabenya, Theophilus Larbi, also described her apology as habitual, adding that her re-election as parliamentary candidate for the next general elections could adversely affect the party’s chances in the constituency.
According to him “The reason being that we are the representation of the people in this constituency. The majority of the people say that if we bring Hon Adwoa Safo back again, they will not vote for the party. And as a person and officer who means well for this party should listen, because we are delegates of this party’’.
He added that “The majority of people are not happy about what happened. She has apologized, severally, but I’m sorry we have the men and women. As far as I’m concerned, it can no longer be Adwoa Safo. Dome Kwabenya cannot be represented by her’’.
Although the NPP won the Dome-Kwabenya seat during the 2020 Parliamentary elections, Adwoa Safo’s behavior caused the party to lose over 20,000 votes which is a significant number that could have boosted the party’s fortunes.
In 2022, Adwoa Safo faced the Privileges Committee of Parliament after being absent for over a year.
The status of her seat became a point of contention, with fellow Majority members advocating for it to be declared vacant in opposition to National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs.
As of now, the Speaker is yet to make a ruling based on the Committee’s report.
Upon her return to Ghana from the United States of America, the former Minister of Procurement stated her intentions to participate in the party’s primaries for the 2024 elections.
Meanwhile, some of the residents say they are tired of Adwoa Safo’s repeated absences from Parliament and her lack of communication with her constituents.
Some of the constituents and the party in reaction believe that she has damaged the party’s reputation in the constituency and that she should not be re-elected as a parliamentary candidate.
-BY Daniel Bampoe